Other News Releases Related to Case 10-OCD-254

Witness Assistance

Mississauga (25 November, 2010) --- Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of a 55-year-old London man who was in police custody in London. The London Police Service (LPS) contacted the SIU early this morning and reported the following:

At 12:57 a.m. a man was arrested for a provincial offence.

He was taken to the LPS Headquarters Detention Unit and lodged in a cell.

At 4:13 a.m. he was found to be in medical distress.

EMS and the Fire Department were called and responded to LPS Headquarters.

The man was pronounced dead at 4:42 a.m.

The SIU has assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances around this matter.

At present one officer has been designated as a subject officer and four officers have been designated as witness officers.

Anyone who may have information regarding this case is asked to contact the Unit at 416-622-0748 or 1-800-787-8529.

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must

consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation

depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid